Automatic activation of turn signals in a vehicle

ABSTRACT

According to various embodiments, turn signals are automatically activated in response to signals received from a navigation system, based on the navigation instructions generated by the navigation system. The navigation system of a vehicle (either built into the vehicle or provided as a stand-alone unit) is communicatively coupled with or otherwise integrated with the turn signals of the vehicle. When the navigation system instructs the driver to perform a maneuver (such as making a turn), it can also cause the appropriate turn signal to be automatically activated at the appropriate time and/or distance in advance of the maneuver. When the navigation system detects that the maneuver has been made, or that the driver has ignored the system&#39;s instructions, the turn signal can be automatically deactivated.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application claims priority as a continuation of U.S.Utility application Ser. No. 14/728,709 for “Automatic Activation ofTurn Signals in a Vehicle”, filed on Jun. 2, 2015, which is incorporatedherein by reference.

U.S. Utility application Ser. No. 14/728,709 claims priority as acontinuation of U.S. Utility application Ser. No. 13/302,079 for“Automatic Activation of Turn Signals in a Vehicle”, filed on Nov. 22,2011, issued on Jul. 14, 2015 as U.S. Pat. No. 9,079,499, which isincorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to turn signals, or directionalindicators, in vehicles, and more particularly to a system and methodfor automatically activating turn signals on a vehicle.

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART

In-car navigation systems employing Global Position System (GPS)technology are well known. Such systems provide drivers with a series ofinstructions and/or information to guide the driver to a specifieddestination. Typically, such instructions are provided via visual and/orauditory means. For example, once a driver has indicated a specifieddestination, a display screen may show a map of the route and/or agraphical depiction of an upcoming turn, entrance, exit, orintersection, while a spoken voice can provide instructions to thedriver. Instructions can tell the driver to perform any suitablemaneuver, such as for example, turns, freeway exits/entrances, lanechanges, and the like.

Particular examples of instructions and information provided bynavigation systems include, without limitation:

-   -   “In 500 feet, turn right”    -   “Stay in the right lane”    -   “In 1 mile, turn right onto El Camino Real”    -   “Your destination is ahead on the right”

Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown an example of a screen 100 thatmay be used for outputting instructions according to the prior art. Inthe example, map 101 is shown, along with instructions 102 and anindication 103 of the distance and estimated time remaining in the trip.One skilled in the art will recognize that different navigation systemsmay offer such information and/or other information in many differentformats.

The driver is free to follow or ignore the instructions as he or shesees fit. In many navigation systems, a new route to the destination isgenerated if the driver veers from the system's instructions.

Whether or not they are following a route specified by a navigationsystem, drivers often forget to activate their turn signals (directionalindicators) when driving. This may occur because a driver is distracted,or careless, or simply finds it too difficult or burdensome to use turnsignals. Such failure to activate turn signals is a violation of trafficlaws in most jurisdictions, and can lead to accidents because otherdrivers or pedestrians may not be aware of an intended action such as aturn or change of lanes.

SUMMARY

According to various embodiments of the present invention, turn signalsare automatically activated in response to signals received from anavigation system, based on the navigation instructions generated by thenavigation system. The navigation system of a vehicle (either built intothe vehicle or provided as a stand-alone unit) is communicativelycoupled with or otherwise integrated with the turn signal mechanism ofthe vehicle. When the navigation system instructs the driver to performa maneuver (such as making a turn), it can also cause the appropriateturn signal to be automatically activated at the appropriate time and/ordistance in advance of the maneuver. When the navigation system detectsthat the maneuver has been made, or that the driver has ignored thesystem's instructions, the turn signal can be automatically deactivated.

In one embodiment, the user can cancel the automatically activated turnsignal after it has been activated. In another embodiment, the user canspecify under what conditions the turn signal should be automaticallyactivated based on instructions from the navigation system. For example,the user can, in one embodiment, specify the distance (before theintersection or other location) at which the turn signal should beautomatically activated. In another embodiment, the interface of thenavigation system can prompt the user as to whether the turn signalshould be automatically activated. Such prompting can take place foreach route instruction (i.e. as the route instruction is given), or forthe entire session/drive, or it can be a setting that remains in effectuntil changed by the driver.

For example, if the navigation system instructs the driver to turn rightat an upcoming intersection, it can cause the right-turn signal to beautomatically activated at a specified distance in advance of theintersection. The signal can be canceled manually by the user. If theuser makes the turn, the signal is canceled automatically. Additionally,if the user ignores the instructions, for example by proceeding straightthrough the intersection or making a left turn, in one embodiment theturn signal is also canceled automatically.

Further details and variations are described herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings illustrate several embodiments of theinvention and, together with the description, serve to explain theprinciples of the invention according to the embodiments. One skilled inthe art will recognize that the particular embodiments illustrated inthe drawings are merely exemplary, and are not intended to limit thescope of the present invention.

FIG. 1 depicts an example of a screen as may be displayed by anavigation system according to the prior art.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram depicting an architecture for practicing thepresent invention according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram depicting a method for practicing the presentinvention according to one embodiment, wherein turn signals areautomatically activated based on navigation instructions.

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram depicting a method for practicing the presentinvention according to one embodiment, wherein the driver can optionallycancel the automatic turn signal.

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram depicting a method for practicing the presentinvention according to one embodiment, wherein the system prompts thedriver as to whether a turn signal should be automatically activated.

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram depicting a method for practicing the presentinvention according to one embodiment, wherein the system gives thedriver an opportunity to manually activate a turn signal beforeautomatically activating the turn signal.

FIG. 7 is a flow diagram depicting a method for practicing the presentinvention according to one embodiment, wherein the system reminds thedriver to activate the turn signal.

FIGS. 8A through 8C depict an example of the operation of the presentinvention according to one embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

System Architecture

According to various embodiments, the present invention can beimplemented in a navigation system installed in a vehicle, or in acomponent that can be communicatively coupled with a navigation system.Such a navigation system can be a built-in system installed by thevehicle manufacturer, or it can be an after-market system.Alternatively, the invention can be implemented in a stand-alone orportable navigation system, handheld or mobile computing device, laptopcomputer, desktop computer, personal digital assistant (PDA), cellulartelephone, smartphone, music player, tablet computer, or the like, orany other device capable of generating routing instructions for a driverto follow. Such device may operate in a stand-alone fashion, usinglocally stored geographic data, or it can operate by connecting with aserver containing geographic data; such communication can take placeover the Internet, or over any suitable wireless data network, or anyother suitable network. Alternatively, the techniques described hereincan be implemented on any other type of computing device, combination ofdevices, or platform.

In some embodiments, the system of the present invention may becommunicatively coupled to a turn signal control system or circuit of avehicle, so as to be able to send signals to such a control system inorder to automatically active turn signals. Such communication can takeplace over any suitable wired or wireless communications medium; forexample, such communication can take place using a wirelesscommunications protocol such as BlueTooth. In other embodiments, thesystem can be implemented using any other suitable mechanism forenabling a signal to be sent from a navigation system to a turn signalcontrol system or circuit of a vehicle.

Although the invention is described herein in the context ofautomatically activating turn signals in a vehicle, one skilled in theart will recognize that the techniques of the present invention can beimplemented in other contexts. Accordingly, the following description isintended to illustrate various embodiments of the invention by way ofexample, rather than to limit the scope of the claimed invention.

In one embodiment, the present invention is implemented as a feature ofsoftware that enables operation of a navigation system in a vehicle oron an electronic device. Such a feature may be part of the navigationsystem software itself, or it may be implemented as a plug-in oradditional application or “app” that may be installed on the device thatimplements the navigation system software.

Referring now to FIG. 2, there is shown a block diagram depicting ahardware architecture for practicing the present invention according toone embodiment. Such an architecture can be used, for example, forimplementing the techniques of the present invention in connection witha navigation system installed in vehicle 201. As discussed above,navigation system 202 may be a preinstalled component of vehicle 201, orone that is installed later, or it may be a stand-alone or portableunit. Navigation system 202 includes various components that are wellknown in the art. GPS receiver 203 receives signals from GPS satellitesto determine the current location of vehicle 201. Data store 206includes information such as road information, geographical information,points of interest, and the like. Data store 206 can be organizedaccording to any suitable scheme, including for example as a relationaldatabase. Data store 206 can be embodied on any appropriate physicalmedium or media, including for example and without limitation, a harddrive, an optical drive, flash memory, random access memory,network-based or cloud-based media, and/or the like, and/or anycombination thereof. Network interface 214 is an optional component thatallows navigation system 202 to communicate with remotely locatedservers, via wired and/or wireless communication mechanisms, such as forexample 3G. Navigation system 202 can thereby obtain street, traffic,and/or routing information from remote sources.

Processor 205 may be a microprocessor or any similar component forrunning software to implement the various features and functions ofnavigation system 202. In one embodiment, processor 205 runs software toimplement these features and functions. In one embodiment, processor 205uses location information from GPS receiver 203 together with roadinformation from data store 206 (and/or information received from aremote server via network interface 214) to determine a suitable routefor the driver to follow in order to reach a specified destination.Processor 205 determines the route using well known mechanisms, whichmay take into account distance, expected speed of various roads, roadconditions, driver preferences (e.g. maximize or minimize freeways),road closures, and/or the like. Once a route has been determined,processor 205 is able to generate screen output such as shown in theexample of FIG. 1. Such output may be displayed on screen 207, which maybe integrated into vehicle 201 or may be a separate component. Screenoutput may be accompanied by spoken instructions generated by speechoutput system 209 and output via speaker 220. Memory 213 can berandom-access memory having a structure and architecture as are known inthe art, for use by processor 205 in the course of running software.

Navigation system 202 may also include any suitable form of inputdevice(s) 208, which may include, for example and without limitation, atouch-screen, knob, switches, buttons, keyboard, pointing device,five-way switch, joystick, dial, steering-wheel mounted controls, speechrecognition system (with microphone for receiving spoken audio from thedriver), touchpad, and/or the like. Any number of such input device(s)208 can be provided, either singly or in any combination. If inputdevice 208 includes a speech recognition system, such a system can useany suitable speech-to-text system or technology as may be known in theart. In one embodiment, input device(s) 208 can be used by the driver tospecify a desired destination, respond to prompts, and issue variouscommands relevant to the operation of navigation system 202.

In one embodiment, a user interface 204 is implemented, for example insoftware running on processor 205. User interface 204 presents output tothe driver via screen 207, including for example a display of a route tothe specified destination, on-screen prompts and options, and the like.User interface 204 is also configured to accept input from the driveraccording to an appropriate input mode for input device(s) 208,including specification of destination, responses to prompts, and thelike.

As mentioned above, in one embodiment, under the direction of userinterface 204, system 202 may also provide audio output, including forexample spoken output, alert sounds, and/or the like. Speech outputsystem 209 may be configured to generate spoken output to instruct theuser according to the specified route. Speech output system 209 can useany known text-to-speech system and/or technology for generating spokenoutput. As is known in the art, such spoken output may includeinstructions to make certain turns, lane changes, exits and entrances,and the like. Speech output system 209 sends such spoken input tospeaker 220 for output to the driver. Speaker 220 may be installed invehicle 201 or may be a component of a stand-alone navigation system202. Alternatively, speaker 220 may also be a component of a headset(not shown) worn by driver.

Turn signal control system 211 can be any suitable control system foractivating turn signals 212. More particularly, turn signal controlsystem 211 can be any suitable mechanism for transmitting electricalsignals to cause turn signals 212 to operate. For example, turn signalcontrol system 211 can include a thermal flasher or any suitableelectronic equivalent; such system 211 can include circuitry for causingturn signals 212 to blink in an intermittent fashion. Turn signals 212themselves can be any visual and/or auditory indicator(s), including forexample incandescent, fluorescent, or other type of light bulb(s), lightemitting diode(s) (LED(s)), speaker(s), and the like. In one embodiment,multiple turn signals 212 are available, for example to indicate rightturns and left turns. In one embodiment, turn signals 212 are located invarious locations on vehicle 201, including for example the front, rear,and/or sides of vehicle 201.

In one embodiment, navigation system 202 is communicatively coupled,either directly or indirectly, with turn signal control system 211 ofvehicle, so as to enable navigation system 202 to send signals to turnsignal control system 211 to activate turn signals 212 of vehicle 201automatically based on route instructions generated or received bynavigation system 202. Thus, in one embodiment, if vehicle 201 isapproaching a location where the determined route indicates that amaneuver such as a right turn or right exit should be performed, thesystem of the present invention sends a signal to turn signal controlsystem 211 to cause right-hand turn signal(s) 212 to be automaticallyactivated. Conversely, in one embodiment, if vehicle 201 is approachinga location where the determined route indicates that a maneuver such asa left turn or left exit should be performed, the system of the presentinvention sends a signal to turn signal control system 211 to causeleft-hand turn signal(s) 212 to be automatically activated.

Communication between navigation system 202 and turn signal controlsystem 211 can be accomplished using any suitable wired or wirelesssignal transmission means. One example, without limitation, is theBlueTooth protocol, although any other personal area network forwireless signal transmission can be used. Alternatively, navigationsystem 202 can transmit signals to turn signal control system 211 via awired transmission path for digital signals. As described in more detailbelow, navigation system 202 can, in one embodiment, transmit a signalto cause turn signal control system 211 to automatically activate turnsignals 212 when vehicle 201 is approaching an intersection,entrance/exit ramp, or other location where the determined routeindicates that a maneuver (such as a turn, entrance, exit, or lanechange) should be performed. Under the expectation that the driver willperform the specified maneuver, the system of the present invention thusprovides a mechanism by which turn signals 212 can be automaticallyactivated.

One skilled in the art will recognize that the particular arrangement ofhardware elements shown in FIG. 2 is merely exemplary, and that theinvention can be implemented using different hardware elementsconfigured in any of a number of different ways. Thus, the particulararchitecture shown in FIG. 2 is merely illustrative and is not intendedto limit the scope of the invention in any way. In particular, in oneembodiment, the system of the present invention can communicate with oneor more server(s) via any suitable communications network such as theInternet, and that any of the components depicted in FIG. 2 can beimplemented as a server-based component according to well knowntechniques.

Method of Operation

In one embodiment, the system automatically activates the appropriateturn signal 212 at a specified distance before a maneuver location asspecified by the route instructions. In another embodiment, the systemof the present invention gives the driver an opportunity to cancel anautomatically activated turn signal 212. In yet another embodiment, thesystem of the present invention gives the driver an opportunity tomanually activate turn signal 212; however, if the driver forgets to doso, the system automatically activates the appropriate turn signal 212.In yet another embodiment, the system prompts the driver to indicatewhether or not turn signal 212 should be activated; if the driverindicates an affirmative response, by whatever input mechanism isappropriate, the system automatically activates turn signal 212. In yetanother embodiment, the system prompts the driver to remind him or herto activate the appropriate turn signal 212, but does not activate turnsignal 212 automatically.

These various embodiments will be described with reference to FIGS. 3through 7.

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram depicting a method for practicing the presentinvention according to one embodiment of the present invention, whereinturn signals 212 are automatically activated responsive to navigationinstructions from navigation system 202.

The driver enters 301 a destination into navigation system 202, usingany suitable input device(s) 208. Destination can be entered usingknobs, dials, buttons, touch-screen, voice input, and/or any combinationthereof.

Navigation system 202 calculates 302 a route to the specifieddestination, based on vehicle's 201 current position as determined byGPS receiver 203, and further based on road information and/or otherinformation stored in data store 206 and/or obtained from a server. Suchroute calculation can be performed using any suitable techniques as areknown for use in navigation systems.

As vehicle 201 travels along the route, navigation system 202 outputs303 any number of navigation instructions for the driver to follow. Eachnavigation instruction specifies a maneuver such as a turn, exit,entrance, lane change, or the like. The system of the present inventioncan output 303 instructions using any technique and/or methodology thatmay be known for such output 303 in a navigation system. Suchinstructions can be output 303, for example, as a series of spokeninstructions via speech output system 209, and/or instructions displayedon screen 207. In one embodiment, each successive instruction is output303 as vehicle 201 approaches the intersection, entrance/exit ramp, orother geographical location where the instruction is to be followed. Inother embodiments, any number of instructions can be output 303simultaneously or in advance of reaching the intersection(s),entrance/exit ramp(s), or other geographical location(s) where theinstructions are to be followed. Instructions can be present in textual,graphical, spoken, and/or other form. As is known in the art,instructions can be accompanied by a map or other display, which maychange continually to reflect vehicle's 201 current position.

In one embodiment, when vehicle 201 is within a specified distance of anintersection, entrance/exit ramp, or other geographical location wherean instruction is to be followed, navigation system 202 sends 304 asignal to turn signal control system 211 of vehicle 201 to cause system211 to automatically activate appropriate turn signal(s) 212 reflectingthe maneuver specified by the instruction. For example, if the specifiedmaneuver is a right turn or right exit, navigation system 202 may causeturn signal control system 211 to activate right turn signal(s) 212.Conversely, if the maneuver is a left turn or left exit, navigationsystem 202 may cause turn signal control system 211 to activate leftturn signal(s) 212.

Turn signal control system 211 automatically activates 305 specifiedturn signal(s) 212 according to the signal received from navigationsystem 202. Optionally, navigation system 202 can notify the driver thatturn signal(s) 212 have been automatically activated, either via visualor auditory means, or both.

In this manner, turn signal(s) 212 is/are automatically activated basedon instructions generated by navigation system 202.

In one embodiment, once vehicle 201 is past the geographical locationwhere the instruction was to be followed, turn signal control system 211automatically deactivates 306 turn signal(s) 212. If the driver causedvehicle 201 to make a turn, such deactivation 306 can take place usingknown mechanical and/or electrical means for deactivating a turn signalafter a turn is made. If, however, the driver ignored the instruction,and/or if the instruction specified a maneuver that was insufficient todeactivate turn signal(s) 212 by conventional means, navigation system202 can detect that vehicle 201 has passed the geographic location wherethe instruction was to be followed. In such a situation, in oneembodiment, navigation system 202 sends a signal to cause turn signalcontrol system 211 to automatically deactivate 306 turn signal(s) 212.

If vehicle 201 has arrived 307 at the specified destination, the methodends 399. Otherwise, in one embodiment, if the driver ignores theinstruction, or if vehicle 201 goes off the specified route for anyother reason, the method can return to step 302 to recalculate theroute. Accordingly, in one embodiment, step 308 determines whethervehicle 201 is still on the specified route. If so, the method returnsto step 303; otherwise the method returns to step 302 to recalculate theroute based on the current position of vehicle 201. Steps 303 through306 are then repeated.

Referring now to FIG. 4, there is shown a flow diagram depicting amethod for practicing the present invention according to one embodimentof the present invention, wherein the driver can optionally cancel theautomatic turn signal. Steps 301 through 305 are performed as describedin connection with FIG. 3. However, once turn signal control system 211has automatically activated 305 specified turn signal(s) 212 accordingto the signal received from navigation system 202, the driver is able tocancel turn signal(s) 212, either by manipulating turn signal controlsin a conventional manner, or by providing a command or other input tonavigation system 202. If the driver cancels 406 turn signal(s) 212,turn signal control system 211 deactivates 407 turn signal(s) 212. Inone embodiment, if the driver cancels 406 turn signal(s) 212 vianavigation system 202, deactivation 407 can take place responsive to asignal sent from navigation system 202 to turn signal control system211.

Steps 306 through 308 are performed as described in connection with FIG.3. If, in step 307, vehicle 201 has arrived at the destination, themethod ends 499.

Referring now to FIG. 5, there is shown a flow diagram depicting amethod for practicing the present invention according to one embodimentof the present invention, wherein the system prompts the driver as towhether turn signal(s) 212 should be automatically activated. Steps 301through 303 are performed as described in connection with FIG. 3.Navigation system 202 or some other component prompts 501 the driver toindicate whether turn signal(s) 212 should be automatically activated.In one embodiment, such prompting is performed when vehicle 201 iswithin a specified distance of a location for performing a maneuver asspecified by an instruction generated by navigation system 202. Inanother embodiment, such prompting can take place further in advance,for example upon initial output of the navigation instruction. In yetanother embodiment, such prompting can take place at the time the driverenters 301 the destination, or at the time the route is initiallycalculated 302. The driver's indication as to whether or not turnsignal(s) 212 should be automatically activated can be effective for asingle navigation instruction, or for an entire route, or it can be aglobal setting that remains in effect until the driver changes it.

Prompting 501 of the driver can take place by any suitable outputmechanism, whether visual and/or auditory; examples include screen 207and/or speech output system 209, and/or a beep or other sound. Thedriver can respond via any suitable input device 208, such as via aphysical or virtual control or button, or voice control. In oneembodiment, the system of the present invention can acknowledge thedriver's response via any suitable output mechanism.

If the driver indicated that turn signal(s) 212 should be automaticallyactivated 502, steps 304 through 307 are performed as described inconnection with FIG. 3. If the driver indicated that turn signal(s) 212should not be automatically activated 502, the method proceeds directlyto step 307 to determine whether or not vehicle 201 has arrived 307 atthe specified destination.

If vehicle 201 has arrived 307 at the specified destination, the methodends 599.

Otherwise, in one embodiment, if the driver ignores the instruction, orif vehicle 201 goes off the specified route for any other reason, themethod can return to step 302 to recalculate the route. Accordingly, inone embodiment, step 308 determines whether vehicle 201 is still on thespecified route. If so, the method returns to step 303; otherwise themethod returns to step 302 to recalculate the route based on the currentposition of vehicle 201. Steps 303 through 306 are then repeated.

Referring now to FIG. 6, there is shown a flow diagram depicting amethod for practicing the present invention according to anotherembodiment of the present invention, wherein the system gives the driveran opportunity to manually activate turn signal(s) 212 before they areautomatically activated.

Steps 301 through 303 are performed as described in connection with FIG.3. In one embodiment, when vehicle 201 is within a specified distance ofan intersection, entrance/exit ramp, or other geographical locationwhere an instruction is to be followed, navigation system 202 gives 601the driver an opportunity to manually activate turn signal(s) 212. Forexample, navigation system 202 may wait some specified period of time,such as five to ten seconds, to allow the driver to manually activateturn signal(s) 212. The period of time may depend on vehicle 201velocity, and/or it may reflect a specified traveled distance, or it maybe a fixed or predetermined period of time. In one embodiment, suchperiod of time can be configured by the driver or by some otherindividual.

If the driver does not manually activate turn signal(s) 212 within theperiod of time, navigation system 202 sends 602 a signal to turn signalcontrol system 211 of vehicle 201 to cause system 211 to automaticallyactivate appropriate turn signal(s) 212 reflecting the instruction. Forexample, if the maneuver specified by the instruction is a right turn orright exit, navigation system 202 may cause turn signal control system211 to activate right turn signal(s) 212. Conversely, if the maneuverspecified by the instruction is a left turn or left exit, navigationsystem 202 may cause turn signal control system 211 to activate leftturn signal(s) 212. Optionally, output screen 207 of navigation system202 can notify the driver that turn signal(s) 212 have beenautomatically activated.

Steps 305 through 308 are performed as described in connection with FIG.3. If, in step 307, vehicle 201 has arrived at the destination, themethod ends 699.

Referring now to FIG. 7, there is shown a flow diagram depicting amethod for practicing the present invention according to one embodimentof the present invention, wherein the system reminds the driver toactivate turn signal(s) 212.

Steps 301 through 303 are performed as described in connection with FIG.3. In one embodiment, when vehicle 201 is within a specified distance ofan intersection, entrance/exit ramp, or other geographical locationwhere an instruction is to be followed, navigation system 202 outputs701 a reminder to the driver to activate turn signal(s) 212. Suchreminder can be presented to the driver via any suitable outputmechanism, whether visual and/or auditory; examples include screen 207and/or speech output system 209, and/or a beep or other sound. Forexample, speech output system 209 can say, “You are approaching theintersection. Don't forget to signal left”, or some other suitablespoken reminder. Alternatively, or in addition to the spoken output, asimilar message can appear on screen 207, and/or a distinctive auditoryalert such as a beep may be sounded. In one embodiment, such reminder isprovided in addition to automatic turn signal 212 activation asdescribed above. In another embodiment, the system of the presentinvention merely provides reminders but does not automatically activateturn signal(s) 212.

Steps 307 and 308 are performed as described in connection with FIG. 3.If, in step 307, vehicle 201 has arrived at the destination, the methodends 799.

EXAMPLE

Referring now to FIGS. 8A through 8C, there is shown an example of theoperation of the present invention according to one embodiment.

In FIG. 8A, vehicle 201 is 100 yards from intersection 801 where a rightturn is to be performed, according to the determined route. Also shownin FIG. 8A is an example of screen 802 as it might appear when vehicle201 is 100 yards from intersection 801. Map 802 is presented, alonginstruction 102 to turn right. As is known in the art, navigation system202 may also output auditory instructions via speaker 220. One skilledin the art will recognize that the depicted scenario is merelyexemplary; for example, instruction 201 may be presented at any suitabledistance from intersection 801.

As described above, in some embodiments, the driver is reminded tomanually activate turn signal 212 before automatic activation takesplace. In FIG. 8B, vehicle 201 is 60 yards from intersection 801. Screen802 now includes reminder 803 prompting the driver to activate rightturn signal 212. In one embodiment, spoken output can be providedinstead of or in addition to visual reminder 803, to prompt the driverto activate right turn signal 212. One skilled in the art will recognizethat the depicted scenario is merely exemplary; for example, reminder803 may be presented at any suitable distance from intersection 801.Alternatively, in some embodiments, reminder 803 is not displayed.

As described above, in some embodiments, turn signal 212 isautomatically activated at a certain distance from the location wherethe specified maneuver (in this case a right turn) is to be performed.In FIG. 8C, vehicle 201 is 30 yards from intersection 801. Accordingly,navigation system 202 has sent a signal causing turn signal 212 to beautomatically activated. In one embodiment, screen 802 includes anotification 804 informing the driver that turn signal 212 has beenautomatically activated. In one embodiment, spoken output can beprovided instead of or in addition to visual notification 804, to informthe driver that turn signal 212 has been automatically activated. Again,one skilled in the art will recognize that the depicted scenario ismerely exemplary; for example, turn signal 212 may be automaticallyactivated at any suitable distance from intersection 801. Alternatively,in some embodiments, turn signal 212 may not be automatically activated.Alternatively, in some embodiments, turn signal 212 may be automaticallyactivated, but notification 804 may be omitted or presented in someother form than that depicted in FIG. 8C (for example, an auditorynotification can be presented).

The present invention has been described in particular detail withrespect to possible embodiments. Those of skill in the art willappreciate that the invention may be practiced in other embodiments.First, the particular naming of the components, capitalization of terms,the attributes, data structures, or any other programming or structuralaspect is not mandatory or significant, and the mechanisms thatimplement the invention or its features may have different names,formats, or protocols. Further, the system may be implemented via acombination of hardware and software, as described, or entirely inhardware elements, or entirely in software elements. Also, theparticular division of functionality between the various systemcomponents described herein is merely exemplary, and not mandatory;functions performed by a single system component may instead beperformed by multiple components, and functions performed by multiplecomponents may instead be performed by a single component.

In various embodiments, the present invention can be implemented as asystem or a method for performing the above-described techniques, eithersingly or in any combination. In another embodiment, the presentinvention can be implemented as a computer program product comprising anontransitory computer-readable storage medium and computer programcode, encoded on the medium, for causing a processor in a computingdevice or other electronic device to perform the above-describedtechniques.

Reference in the specification to “one embodiment” or to “an embodiment”means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic describedin connection with the embodiments is included in at least oneembodiment of the invention. The appearances of the phrase “in oneembodiment” in various places in the specification are not necessarilyall referring to the same embodiment.

Some portions of the above are presented in terms of algorithms andsymbolic representations of operations on data bits within a memory of acomputing device. These algorithmic descriptions and representations arethe means used by those skilled in the data processing arts to mosteffectively convey the substance of their work to others skilled in theart. An algorithm is here, and generally, conceived to be aself-consistent sequence of steps (instructions) leading to a desiredresult. The steps are those requiring physical manipulations of physicalquantities. Usually, though not necessarily, these quantities take theform of electrical, magnetic or optical signals capable of being stored,transferred, combined, compared and otherwise manipulated. It isconvenient at times, principally for reasons of common usage, to referto these signals as bits, values, elements, symbols, characters, terms,numbers, or the like. Furthermore, it is also convenient at times, torefer to certain arrangements of steps requiring physical manipulationsof physical quantities as modules or code devices, without loss ofgenerality.

It should be borne in mind, however, that all of these and similar termsare to be associated with the appropriate physical quantities and aremerely convenient labels applied to these quantities. Unlessspecifically stated otherwise as apparent from the following discussion,it is appreciated that throughout the description, discussions utilizingterms such as “processing” or “computing” or “calculating” or“displaying” or “determining” or the like, refer to the action andprocesses of a computer system, or similar electronic computing moduleand/or device, that manipulates and transforms data represented asphysical (electronic) quantities within the computer system memories orregisters or other such information storage, transmission or displaydevices.

Certain aspects of the present invention include process steps andinstructions described herein in the form of an algorithm. It should benoted that the process steps and instructions of the present inventioncan be embodied in software, firmware and/or hardware, and when embodiedin software, can be downloaded to reside on and be operated fromdifferent platforms used by a variety of operating systems.

The present invention also relates to an apparatus for performing theoperations herein. This apparatus may be specially constructed for therequired purposes, or it may comprise a general-purpose computing deviceselectively activated or reconfigured by a computer program stored inthe computing device. Such a computer program may be stored in anontransitory computer readable storage medium, such as, but is notlimited to, any type of disk including floppy disks, optical disks,CD-ROMs, magnetic-optical disks, read-only memories (ROMs), randomaccess memories (RAMs), EPROMs, EEPROMs, flash memory, solid statedrives, magnetic or optical cards, application specific integratedcircuits (ASICs), or any type of nontransitory media suitable forstoring electronic instructions, and each coupled to a computer systembus. Further, the computing devices referred to herein may include asingle processor or may be architectures employing multiple processordesigns for increased computing capability.

The algorithms and displays presented herein are not inherently relatedto any particular computing device, virtualized system, or otherapparatus. Various general-purpose systems may also be used withprograms in accordance with the teachings herein, or it may proveconvenient to construct more specialized apparatus to perform therequired method steps. The required structure for a variety of thesesystems will be apparent from the description provided herein. Inaddition, the present invention is not described with reference to anyparticular programming language. It will be appreciated that a varietyof programming languages may be used to implement the teachings of thepresent invention as described herein, and any references above tospecific languages are provided for disclosure of enablement and bestmode of the present invention.

Accordingly, in various embodiments, the present invention can beimplemented as software, hardware, and/or other elements for controllinga computer system, computing device, or other electronic device, or anycombination or plurality thereof. Such an electronic device can include,for example, a processor, an input device (such as a keyboard, mouse,touchpad, trackpad, joystick, trackball, microphone, and/or anycombination thereof), an output device (such as a screen, speaker,and/or the like), memory, long-term storage (such as magnetic storage,optical storage, and/or the like), and/or network connectivity,according to techniques that are well known in the art. Such anelectronic device may be portable or nonportable. Examples of electronicdevices that may be used for implementing the invention include: amobile phone, personal digital assistant, smartphone, kiosk, servercomputer, enterprise computing device, desktop computer, laptopcomputer, tablet computer, consumer electronic device, television,set-top box, or the like. An electronic device for implementing thepresent invention may use any operating system such as, for example:Linux; Microsoft Windows, available from Microsoft Corporation ofRedmond, Wash.; Mac OS X, available from Apple Inc. of Cupertino,Calif.; iOS, available from Apple Inc. of Cupertino, Calif.; and/or anyother operating system that is adapted for use on the device.

While the invention has been described with respect to a limited numberof embodiments, those skilled in the art, having benefit of the abovedescription, will appreciate that other embodiments may be devised whichdo not depart from the scope of the present invention as describedherein. In addition, it should be noted that the language used in thespecification has been principally selected for readability andinstructional purposes, and may not have been selected to delineate orcircumscribe the inventive subject matter. Accordingly, the disclosureof the present invention is intended to be illustrative, but notlimiting, of the scope of the invention, which is set forth in theclaims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for automatically activating a turnsignal in a vehicle operated by a human driver, comprising: in anavigation device operating in the vehicle operated by the human driver,receiving a destination; in the navigation device, determining a currentlocation of the vehicle; in the navigation device, determining a routeto the destination based on the current location of the vehicle; in thenavigation device, generating an instruction for following thedetermined route, the instruction specifying a maneuver to be performedby the human driver at a specified location; on an output device, and inadvance of the vehicle reaching the specified location, outputting thegenerated instruction to the human driver; and in advance of the vehiclereaching the specified location, and in advance of the specifiedmaneuver being performed by the human driver, performing the step of:automatically sending a signal from the navigation device to a turnsignal controller to cause the turn signal of the vehicle to beautomatically activated, wherein the automatically activated turn signalindicates the maneuver specified by the instruction output to the humandriver.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein: the location specified forthe maneuver comprises at least one selected from the group consistingof: an intersection; an interchange; an entrance ramp; and an exit ramp;and the maneuver comprises at least one selected from the groupconsisting of: a turn; an exit; an entrance; and a lane change.
 3. Themethod of claim 1, wherein determining a current location of the vehiclecomprises determining a current location using a global positioningsystem.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the navigation devicecomprises a built-in component of the vehicle and is communicativelycoupled to a turn signal controller of the vehicle.
 5. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the navigation device comprises a stand-alone deviceconfigured to enable transmission of a signal to the vehicle to cause aturn signal to be activated.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein thenavigation device is a stand-alone device configured to enabletransmission of a signal to a turn signal controller of the vehicle. 7.The method of claim 1, wherein automatically sending a signal from thenavigation device to a turn signal controller to cause a turn signal ofthe vehicle to be activated comprises sending a signal by a wirelesstransmission medium.
 8. The method of claim 1, further comprising,subsequent to automatically sending a signal from the navigation deviceto a turn signal controller to cause a turn signal of the vehicle to beactivated, and responsive to driver input to cancel the turn signal,sending a signal to the turn signal controller to cause the turn signalto be deactivated.
 9. A method for automatically reminding a humandriver to manually activate a turn signal in a vehicle operated by thehuman driver, comprising: in a navigation device operating in thevehicle operated by the human driver, receiving a destination; in thenavigation device, determining a current location of the vehicle; in thenavigation device, determining a route to the destination based on thecurrent location of the vehicle; in the navigation device, generating aninstruction for following the determined route, the instructionspecifying a maneuver to be performed by the human driver at a specifiedlocation; on an output device, in advance of the vehicle reaching thespecified location, outputting the generated instruction to the humandriver; and on the output device, in advance of the vehicle reaching thespecified location, and in advance of the specified maneuver beingperformed by the human driver, performing the step of: automaticallyoutputting a reminder to the human driver to manually activate the turnsignal to indicate the specified maneuver.
 10. The method of claim 9,further comprising, subsequent to outputting the reminder, if the humandriver of the vehicle has not manually activated the turn signal toindicate the specified maneuver, automatically sending a signal from thenavigation device to a turn signal controller to cause a turn signal ofthe vehicle to be activated, the turn signal indicating the maneuverspecified by the instruction.
 11. A system for automatically activatinga turn signal in a vehicle operated by a human driver, comprising: aninput device, configured to receive input specifying a destination forthe vehicle operated by the human driver; a geographical positiondetermination device, configured to determine a current location of thevehicle; a processor, communicatively coupled to the input device and tothe geographical position determination device, configured to: determinea route to the destination based on the current location of the vehicle;and generate an instruction for following the determined route, theinstruction specifying a maneuver to be performed by the human driver ata specified location; an output device, communicatively coupled to theprocessor, configured to output the generated instruction to the humandriver in advance of the vehicle reaching the specified location; and asignal transmission device, communicatively coupled to the processor,configured to, in advance of the vehicle reaching the specifiedlocation, and in advance of the specified maneuver being performed bythe human driver, perform the step of: automatically sending a signal toa turn signal controller to cause the turn signal of the vehicle to beautomatically activated, wherein the automatically activated turn signalindicates the maneuver specified by the instruction output to the humandriver.
 12. The system of claim 11, wherein: the location specified forthe maneuver comprises at least one selected from the group consistingof: an intersection; an interchange; an entrance ramp; and an exit ramp;and the maneuver comprises at least one selected from the groupconsisting of: a turn; an exit; an entrance; and a lane change.
 13. Thesystem of claim 11, wherein the geographical position determinationdevice comprises a global positioning system (GPS) device.
 14. Thesystem of claim 11, wherein the input device, the geographical positiondetermination device, the processor, the output device, and the signaltransmission device comprise built-in components of the vehicle, andwherein the signal transmission device is communicatively coupled to aturn signal controller of the vehicle.
 15. The system of claim 11,wherein the input device, the geographical position determinationdevice, the processor, the output device, and the signal transmissiondevice comprise components of a stand-alone navigation device configuredto enable transmission of a signal to the vehicle.
 16. The system ofclaim 11, wherein the input device, the geographical positiondetermination device, the processor, the output device, and the signaltransmission device comprise components of a stand-alone navigationdevice configured to enable transmission of a signal to a turn signalcontroller of the vehicle.
 17. The system of claim 11, wherein thesignal transmission device automatically sends the signal from thenavigation device to the turn signal controller by a wirelesstransmission medium.
 18. The system of claim 11, wherein, responsive tothe input device receiving driver input to cancel the turn signal, thesignal transmission device sends a signal to the turn signal controllerto cause the turn signal to be deactivated.
 19. A system forautomatically reminding a human driver to manually activate a turnsignal in a vehicle operated by the human driver, comprising: an inputdevice, configured to receive input specifying a destination for thevehicle operated by the human driver; a geographical positiondetermination device, configured to determine a current location of thevehicle; a processor, communicatively coupled to the input device and tothe geographical position determination device, configured to: determinea route to the destination based on the current location of the vehicle;and generate an instruction for following the determined route, theinstruction specifying a maneuver to be performed by the human driver ata specified location; an output device, communicatively coupled to theprocessor, configured to: output the generated instruction to the humandriver in advance of the vehicle reaching the specified location; and inadvance of the vehicle reaching the specified location, and in advanceof the specified maneuver being performed by the human driver, performthe step of: automatically outputting a reminder to the human driver tomanually activate the turn signal to indicate the specified maneuver.20. The system of claim 19, further comprising a signal transmissiondevice, communicatively coupled to the processor, configured to, inadvance of the vehicle reaching the specified location, and in advanceof the specified maneuver being performed by the human driver, performthe step of: subsequent to outputting the reminder, if the human driverof the vehicle has not manually activated the turn signal to indicatethe specified maneuver, automatically sending a signal to a turn signalcontroller to cause a turn signal of the vehicle to be activated, theturn signal indicating the maneuver specified by the instruction.
 21. Anon-transitory computer program product for automatically actin eating aturn signal in a vehicle operated by a human driver, the non-transitorycomputer program product comprising instructions stored thereon, thatwhen executed on a processor of a navigation device operating in thevehicle operated by the human driver, perform the steps of: receiving adestination; determining a current location of the vehicle; determininga route to the destination based on the current location of the vehicle;generating an instruction for following the determined route, theinstruction specifying a maneuver to be performed by the human driver ata specified location; in advance of the vehicle reaching the specifiedlocation, causing an output device to output the generated instruction;and in advance of the vehicle reaching the specified location, and inadvance of the specified maneuver being performed by the human driver,performing the step of: causing a signal to be automatically sent fromthe navigation device to a turn signal controller to cause the turnsignal of the vehicle to be automatically activated, wherein theautomatically activated turn signal indicates the maneuver specified bythe instruction output to the human driver.
 22. The non-transitorycomputer program product of claim 21, wherein: the location specifiedfor the maneuver comprises at least one selected from the groupconsisting of: an intersection; an interchange; an entrance ramp; and anexit ramp; and the maneuver comprises at least one selected from thegroup consisting of: a turn; an exit; an entrance; and a lane change.23. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 21, whereindetermining a current location of the vehicle comprises determining acurrent location using a global positioning system.
 24. Thenon-transitory computer program product of claim 21, wherein causing asignal to be automatically sent to a turn signal controller comprisescausing the signal to be sent by a wireless transmission medium.
 25. Thenon-transitory computer program product of claim 21, wherein the step ofcausing a signal to be automatically sent to a turn signal controller isperformed in response to a determination that a driver of the vehiclehas not manually activated the turn signal.
 26. The non-transitorycomputer program product of claim 21, further comprising instructionsstored thereon, that when executed on the processor of the navigationdevice operating in the vehicle operated by the human driver, performthe step of, responsive to driver input to cancel the turn signal,causing a signal to be sent to the turn signal controller to cause theturn signal to be deactivated.
 27. A non-transitory computer programproduct for automatically reminding a human driver to manually activatea turn signal in a vehicle operated by the human driver, thenon-transitory computer program product comprising instructions storedthereon, that when executed on a processor of a navigation deviceoperating in the vehicle operated by the human driver, perform the stepsof: receiving a destination; determining a current location of thevehicle; determining a route to the destination based on the currentlocation of the vehicle; generating an instruction for following thedetermined route, the instruction specifying a maneuver to be performedby the human driver at a specified location; in advance of the vehiclereaching the specified location, causing an output device to output thegenerated instruction; and in advance of the vehicle reaching thespecified location, and in advance of the specified maneuver beingperformed by the human driver, performing the step of: causing theoutput device to automatically output a reminder to the human driver tomanually activate the turn signal to indicate the specified maneuver.28. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 27, furthercomprising instructions stored thereon, that when executed on theprocessor of the navigation device operating in the vehicle operated bythe human driver, perform the step of, subsequent to outputting thereminder, if the human driver of the vehicle has not manually activatedthe turn signal to indicate the specified maneuver, causing a signal tobe automatically sent from the navigation device to a turn signalcontroller to cause the turn signal of the vehicle to be automaticallyactivated, wherein the automatically activated turn signal indicates themaneuver specified by the instruction output to the human driver.